1. Field
The present teaching relates to recreational vehicles and, in particular, relates to an improved mechanism for deploying and retracting recreational vehicle slide-outs.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recreational vehicles are becoming increasingly popular with people who wish to retain the comforts and conveniences of home while spending extended periods of time away from home at remote locations. In more elaborate configurations, the recreational vehicle typically includes interior living areas with amenities and convenience fixtures, such as a bedroom area with a bed and wardrobe closet, a bathroom area with a sink, a flushing toilet, a shower, and a washing machine, a kitchen with a refrigerator, stove, and galley sink, and a generously sized living area with reclining chairs and an entertainment center. Also, a recreational vehicle may be easily parked at a wide variety of locations so that users may enjoy the amenities of the vehicle at their favorite destination. Consequently, people who use recreational vehicles may usually be assured of a comfortable living environment at their preferred remote destination without having to rely on the availability of suitable hotels.
In response to consumer demand, manufacturers have developed increasingly larger recreational vehicles. In particular, manufacturers have developed recreational vehicles with one or more extendable structures, commonly referred to as slide-outs, that provide the user with a supplemental living space when the vehicle is parked in a suitable location. The extendable structure is adapted to extend into a deployed configuration during the time that the vehicle is parked so that the interior living space within the recreational vehicle is increased by an amount which is substantially equal to the supplemental living space of the extendable structure. The extendable structure is also adapted to retract into a retracted configuration during the time that the vehicle is in motion so that the traveling dimensions of the recreational vehicle are within the maximum allowed length and width.
The typical extendable structure or slide-out is positioned within an opening of the housing of the recreational vehicle and is comprised of a plurality of walls that form the supplemental living space therein and an opening that provides access to the supplemental living space. In general, the slide-out is deployed and retracted using extendable rails that are operated with a motor or hydraulic devices. The extendable rails are often structurally supported at a position offset from the exterior sidewall and the outer most portion of the vehicle frame. When the slide-out is deployed, the weight of the slide-out is mostly supported by the extendable rails.
Structural limitations of the vehicle frame typically restrict the position of the extendable rails such that the extendable rails have to leverage the weight of the slide-out over a short distance due to the restricted positioning of the extendable rails with respect to the vehicle frame. Unfortunately, the support structures can deform or warp over time and through excessive use, which can adversely effect the reliability of the extendable rails during deployment and retraction. Moreover, the size of the slide-out is limited by weight, wherein typical extendable rails could not support a large slide-out due to the lack of structural support for heavy slide-out structures. From the foregoing, there currently exists a need to improve the reliability of the extendable members so as to better support the slide-out when deployed and during deployment and retraction. To this end, an improved method of supporting the slide-out is further needed to allow for larger slide-out structures.